A Plain Devotion
by Pete the Rock
Summary: Tired of being called Plain, Kurumi seeks advice from the one who started her nightmare. Rated for language.


_Disclaimer: No ownership of Pani Poni Dash. Done for a Facebook group.  
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_**A Plain Devotion**_

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Surrounded in the classroom...covered in a sea of students...coated in a crowd... No matter how many people were around Kurumi, she felt like the loneliness person in the world. She couldn't believe it all started in 1-C. It all started with the new teacher, a graduate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology...at the age of ten years old! Speaking of 1-C, she sat in the empty room. Head tucked in her folded arms, she cried about another day of feeling neglected. To the class, she didn't stand out among her classmates like Himeko or Ichijo or Number Six. She's practically a ghost to the rest. However, she wasn't exactly alone. Mesousa sat by her foot, trying to stay positive. It was a losing struggle. Mesousa didn't fair any better. The tormentor of her ridicule came by the door and barely tall enough to look above the window, Becky noticed her homeroom being occupied. The noise of the door opening didn't alert Kurumi to the "Little Kid Teacher" entering. "Kurumi, what the hell are you still doing here?" she called. "Last bell rang an hour ago!" Kurumi lifted her head from the arm pile of hers.

"Becky, why did you become a teacher?" she asked. "I mean...what's your motivation?" The words from her student sunk in hard. Kurumi sounded desperate to know what drove her to teach in Japan. She sat at an adjacent desk and placed her files down.

"My motivation, huh? You know, I don't think I've been asked that question, not even from Old Geezer." Her mind melded to her upbringing of ditching USA for a class teaching people older than her. "Well, honestly...I wanted to show what hard work can do. After all, think about how hard I worked at MIT." Kurumi couldn't help but smile at how far Becky came and that's not just because she came from Cambridge.

"The reason I was asking...I want to no longer become plain or boring. I want to be someone, have a guy fall for me." Becky's eyes sprung wide. Standing out in the crowd might be asking a bit much.

"Slow down your pace, girl!" Hearing her warning, Kurumi took a deep breath.

"Sorry, I got excited." Who could blame her? Becky wondered about what Kurumi could do to improve her spirits.

"I have an idea. Why not try out for Forensics?" It's an idea that intrigued Kurumi...in a wrong light.

"Forensics? Is that a part of science I need to study?"

"No, forensics is actually an argument involving a topic that you think needs to be brought up. It has nothing to do with science. What did you think I was talking about? CSI?" Itching the side of her face, Kurumi couldn't find the words to explain herself. A few seconds later, she wondered about what to do her speech about.

"A topic..." So many topics to choose from. "Becky, what would you recommend?" This put Becky in the figurative corner.

"Well, there's an abundance of topics that I'm sure can fit you nicely." With a library full of categories to suit her, Kurumi knew she needed to try something that could work to her argument.

"Okay, I will devote myself to make a speech to the class and see if Forensics is worth it! Thanks, Miss Miyamoto!" With that, she darted off, leaving Becky to lock her classroom for the night...and Rei in her work uniform to show up at the last second.

"You know, her speech will involve something plain like her," she groaned. Becky realized what she pointed towards.

"I know," she agreed. That's when Rei presented a giant bowl of ramen.

"Anyway, your Chow Mein. 730 yen." Becky handed over a 1000-Yen bill.

"Keep the change." It was a tip. Breaking the chopsticks from the attachment, she scarfed on the ramen. Over the weekend, the classmates found Kurumi in coffee shops, libraries and even at the mall writing something.

"Finally!" she cheered while Himeko and Number Six stood from a few tables away.

"Ma-ho?" Himeko gawked, her cowlick waving back and forth. "Kurumi seems excited." Even Six had to wonder the motivation.

"It has to be the Wonder of the Year award!" praised Six. Their wonders would end by Monday. Class started for Room 1-C. Everyone in the class was a little stunned that Kurumi stood in front of the chalkboard. However, the mulls through the room suggested whatever Kurumi had to offer, it wasn't something they would enjoy talking about.

"Do you have to hog the class just to do your Forensics practice?" Becky grumbled.

"I thought I'd practice my speech in front of a crowd before I try out the club," she explained.

"I-I guess it makes sense." Facing the classmates now, Kurumi gathered her wits.

"My topic that I've devoted my weekend for...is sex education." The topic in question caught everyone by surprise. They expected a boring category from Kurumi. They didn't expect her to come out with that, not even the teacher.

"S-S-Sex?!" And the one bringing it up was a girl. Before Kurumi could continue...she was sent to the halls via Becky's snap judgment. "What the crap?! This isn't the place for that discussion!" It might be the age of the teacher.

"Who saw that coming?" Ichijo gasped, sounding...normal. You know you made an impact when the oddball of the crowd has a change in character. Whimpering Kurumi couldn't believe she got kicked out of class by the teacher.

"I thought it was a decent idea to talk about!" she cried. There's one question...what made her come up with the topic of sex education? Whatever the case, the class couldn't shake the reaction the moment those two words lisped from her lips.


End file.
